(1) Procedure for Conducting the Candidacy Exam

Computer and Information Sciences PhD Program 
Effective as of Fall 2017 

The sections below describe the process for the CIS Candidacy Exam. When you meet the qualifications and intend to take the exam, be on the lookout for an email from either Dr. Talburt or Dana Ball the beginning of the semester. The email will request the following information:
– Your name and T-number
– Your program track
– The name of your dissertation advisor
– The names of three EIT Graduate faculty members willing to serve as your examiners

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Qualifications for the Candidacy Exam 

Each student in the Computer and Information Sciences PhD program must pass the candidacy examination as a requirement for degree completion. To qualify for the candidacy exam at student must have completed at least 12 hours of the 18-hour program core. All students in the program are required to complete the candidacy examination within one semester after completing all 18 hours of the program core. In addition, the student must have a declared dissertation advisor prior to taking the candidacy examination. The purpose of the candidacy examination is to determine whether a student possess the attributes of a doctoral candidate ready to begin dissertation research. 

Candidacy Examination Process 

Within the first two weeks of each fall and spring semester, the Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) program coordinator will broadcast a message to all CIS students soliciting applications for the qualifying examination. The message to the students will outline the qualifications for the candidacy examination and set a deadline for students to apply. For students applying before the deadline, the CIS graduate coordinator will verify each applicant meets all of the qualifications. If an applicant does not meet the requirements or applies after the deadline, the applicant will be asked to reapply in the following semester. 

Instructions for Students Taking the Candidacy Examination for the First Time 

The CIS graduate coordinator will ask the applicant to nominate three members of the CIS faculty to serve as the applicant’s examiners by a specific deadline. Only UA Little Rock Full Graduate Faculty members are eligible to serve on the student’s examining committee. Adjunct and Affiliate Graduate Faculty members are not eligible to serve on the student’s examining committee. In addition, the student’s declared dissertation advisor is not eligible to serve as an examiner. The CIS program coordinator will verify all of the faculty nominated by the student are eligible. If one or more nominees are not eligible, the student will be asked to provide a new nomination for the ineligible nominee(s). After the nominations are complete, the program coordinator will contact each nominee and confirm that he or she is willing to serve. In addition, the program coordinator will provide each nominee with the guidelines for conducting the qualifying examination. If for any reason a faculty member is unwilling or unable to serve on the committee, then at the discretion of the CIS program coordinator, the student may be asked to provide an alternate nominee. Otherwise the student will be asked to defer the examination until the next semester. 

Once the student’s examining committee is formed and confirmed, it is the responsibility of the student to schedule a one-hour, oral examination with each examiner on his or her committee.

All meeting with candidacy examiners must be completed BEFORE the last week of classes in the semester. At the end of the semester, the program coordinator will ask each examiner to report whether the examination was held, and if the examination was held, to declare whether the student is “ready” or “not ready” to pursue dissertation research. Failure to meet with an examiner will count as a “not ready” vote. If all of the examiners on the student’s committee vote “ready,” then the student will have passed the qualifying examination. Otherwise the student will be required to retake the examination in the next regular semester (fall or spring) with the committee member or members voting “not ready”. 

Instructions for Students Taking the Candidacy Examination for the Second Time. 

Students are only required to take the candidacy examination a second time if one or more members of the student’s examining committee voted the student as “not ready.” In taking the examination for the second time the student is only required to retake the qualifying examination with the examiner or examiners who voted “not ready” in the prior semester. In the case an examiner who voted “not ready” in the previous semester is no longer an active member of the CIS faculty, the student may nominate a replacement faculty member to conduct the second examination. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule a one-hour, oral examination meeting with each faculty member prior the last week of classes in the semester. 

At the end of the second semester, the program coordinator will ask each examiner to vote either “ready” or “not ready.” If all of the examiners for the second semester vote “ready,” then the student will have passed the qualifying examination. Otherwise the student will have failed the qualifying examination and will be removed from the CIS program. 

Guidelines for Qualifying Committee Members 

Each member of the student’s Qualifying Examination Committee is expected to 

• Be a member in good standing of the UA Little Rock Graduate Faculty 
  
• Make a good faith effort to schedule a one-hour meeting with the candidate before the last week of the semester. 
  
• Conduct an oral examination (not a written examination) of the candidate during the meeting. The meeting with the student should focus on the student’s readiness to being research in a particular area of research. Topics of discussion may include, but are not limited to, clarity of problem definition, choice of research methodology, data collection plan, discussion of literature review, scope of research, and other topics related to research readiness. The examiner is not required to provide the candidate with questions or topics in advance, however the examiner may provide such material at his or her discretion. 
  
• Based on the results of the examination, form an opinion as to whether the student is “ready,” or “not ready,” to pursue dissertation research in his or her area of interest and possesses the competency and knowledge desired of a doctoral candidate. 
  
• In the case where the examiner’s opinion is the student is “not ready” after the first meeting, the examiner, at his or her discretion, may allow the student to schedule a second examination before the last day of the same semester. The examining committee member may not require the student to be examined more than twice in the same semester. 
  
• Provide a final vote of “ready” or “not ready” to the CIS program coordinator for each student examined before the last week of classes in the semester. 
  
• In the case where the final opinion of the examiner is the student is “not ready,” the examiner will provide written guidance to student, student’s dissertation advisor, student’s track coordinator, and CIS program coordinator on what improvements are required for the student to be considered ready. 

Guidelines for Students 

Each student applying for the Candidacy Examination should 

• Have completed all of the requirements for taking the Candidacy Examination 

• Confer with potential examiners and obtain their consent before placing them in nomination with the CIS Coordinator 

• Provide each examiner with a brief description of the research topic (or topics) the student is planning to pursue. material related to the candidate’s background, research interests, and well in advance of the scheduled meeting with the examiner 

• Schedule meetings with the his or her examiners in the timely manner so that all examinations can be completed before the last week of the semester, and to allow time for a second meeting with the examiner if necessary.